Too late to go back to sleep
by Cerone
Summary: Elphaba and Fiyero seem pretty happy living secretly with their six year old daughter in the forest but one day one question changes everything...
1. Chapter 1: Questions

I don't own any of the characters and locations of Wicked

This is my first fanfic in English but I hope you enjoy reading it...

**Too late to go back to sleep**

Chapter 1: Questions

She watched the deer standing by a small brook. She by herself was hiding in a tangled boscage, her hand wrapped around her light bow. Without making any noise she got an arrow out of her qiver and locked it on her bow. Unfortunately the deer made a few steps to its left an therefore got out of her sight. She wanted to sigh but remebered that she was on a hunt and kept quiet. She rearanged her position a little bit to her right and aimed once again at the deer. But without even realizing it she stepped on a small branch. It seemed that the sound of the branch being broken was audible in the whole forest. In any case the deer startled and observed alert it surroundings. She smiled knowing that the deer wouldn't spot her for she was perfectly hidden with her natural green skin in the green boscage. She streched her bow and finally sent the arrow on its way.

"Daddy!"

Fiyero looked up waiting for her to break out of the coppice. He didn't need to wait very long for he had heard the excitement in her voice and therefore knew she would run very fast to inform him about whatever it was. Indeed a few seconds after her scream he saw her between the trees running towards him almost breathless. He smiled at the sight of her being that excited. She stopped right in front of him and smiled proudly at him.

"Daddy! I made it!"

She showed him her bow and her quiver and waited in joyful anticipation. Fiyero's smile grew even wider because he ne pretty well what she was talking about. He had made her that bow a few months ago with special regard to the arrows from which he had taken the edges off for he appreciated her will to help him but he would not support her killing animals at such a young age.

"Which animal?"

She kept on smiling and didn't say a word in order to increase the tension. But finally she couldn't remain silent anymore. She nearly burst with joy.

"A deer!"

Fiyero was very close to speechlessness.

"A deer?!"

He couldn't believe what he had just heard but she nodded affirmatively.

"That's...wow. Maybe we should change our responsibilities? You go hunting and I stay at home helping your mother!"

Now it was her grin which grew wider. He laid his hand on her head and smiled at her affectionately. He couldn't even say how much he loved his little six year old girl although she inherited the green skin from her mother. But he didn't care as he had promised Elphaba years before. Now neither he nor Elphaba could say why they even had brought up this topic. He had never been happier.

"Daddy?"

The voice of his daughter brought him back to reality.

"May I ask you a question?" He was rattled by her asking so shyly. "Of course!"

But she still hesitated. He sighed. It was apparently a very special but important question to her. He took her hand and led her to the stairs which led to the entrance of the cottage. He sat down and waited till she took a seat beside him.

"But promise me that you will not tell mommy that I asked you this! Please!"

Although he was very surprised about it he nodded.

"I promise!"

She scrutinized him closely and he smiled at her reassuringly. Seeming satisfied by his answer she got a grip on herself.

"Are there many of us?"

Fiyero looked at her confused about her question.

"What do you mean by 'us'?"

"Mommy and I. I mean... My green skin helped me very much hiding between the bushes. Are we therefore living in the forest? But what about you? Why does your skin have another colour? And please tell me what lies beyond the borders of the forest?"

Right now Fiyero wished Elphaba would be here by his side to answer all these questions. Both had known this moment would come but none of them had expected it to come so soon. But unfortunately Elphaba wasn't here at the moment which was surely well planned by his little girl for she had even made him promise not to tell Elphaba about this conversation. He sighed.

"Okay, I think its better when we tackle things slowly." She nodded insightfully. "Emijn, first of all I'm going to tell you a few things which may be very difficult to understand especially for you but be sure that I love you and your mum even more than my own life. I would risk my life any time to save yours!"

Emijn noticed that her father was very seriuos all of a sudden and so she nodded to confirm that she had understood his last statement. Seeing this Fiyero thought about how to begin. Although he wanted Emijn to know as much as he know about these things which had happened years before and which would still happen if Elphaba appeared in public Emijn was only six. In his eyes still too young to understand the full meaning of these events. Emijn was such a cheerful person and he wanted this to last as long as possible. Later in a few years there would be another chance to tell her the truth. He smiled at her reassuringly.

"Centuries ago there were many people with a green skin just like you and your mother and indeed most of them lived in the forests using this advantage. They were excellent hunters and high skilled trappers and therefore highly accepted in society. People like me lived outside the forests and traded with the hunters. But by and by the number of the hunters decreased till they nearly disappeared. And these days there are so little that many people from outside the forests do not even know that there are people like you and your mother living here."

Emijn looked serious.

"And how did you meet?" Fiyero gave her a warm smile.

"I first saw her at school and without even knowing it I fell in love with her and she with me. But we didn't show it to each other in fact we thought we hate each other. And suddenly our way parted. Finally when we met again years later I was already engaged to another girl but the more I saw your mother the more I figured out how much I actually loved your mother. I broke off the engagement by running away with your mother."

He was happy about his story for it wasn't a real lie after all. It was nearly the truth. And Emijn seemed satisfied.

She played with her necklace which has been hers since her birthday. It was made out of gold which Fiyero had found years before in a river. He had saved it till the day Elphaba had told him that she was pregnant. That day he had begun to forge the pendant. It was a feather. He had chosen this motive in order to remind Emijn of the most important thing in life to be free. He smiled at this thought because he had to think about Elphaba. He badly missed her. It had been over a week since she had left. And even though he knew that she needed this free time to think, to practise her magical skills and to work up her past. He knew that she wasn't over it yet even though seven years had passed since this time. But he respected it for it was her way to deal with it. Suddenly someone coughed and he found his way back to reality.

His daughter looked at him confused. "Are you all right, dad?" He nodded quickly.

"Then tell me what lies beyond the borders of the forest, please!"

Fiyero couldn't resist laughing.

"Of course little one!" He layed his hand on her head and fondled her.

"What lies beyond the borders of the forest?" He merely asked himself. "Well, I have to admit I don't know exactly what lies beyond the forest. I merely stayed in my village."

'Liar' he called himself for his thoughts nearly immediately drifted to his home and his parents and to Shiz where his life had changed radically due to a very special young green woman and of course to the Emerald City where his old life finally had come to an end and his new life on Elphaba's side had begun. He couldn't believe that this had happened only seven years before. It rather seemed like a lifetime had passed.

He heard a yawning and suddenly he realized that it had already darkened.

"I am annoying, ain't I?" He asked teasingly.

"Oh no! No! Do not even think you are, daddy! It's just I woke up very early and the hunt was very hard work. I am just exhaust. I didn't want to offend you. I am sorry!"

"Don't be! I was just joking. You did not offend me in any way."

He smiled at her showing her all his love he had for her. He loved her so much. She was his little girl and the second most beautiful gift Elphaba had been giving him since the day he had met her for the first time. Emijn came right after Elphaba's gift of spending her whole life with him. Well, actually he valued both gifts pretty much the same. He was so happy, maybe the happiest man on earth.

"Maybe you should go to bed."

"Yeah, I think so." She hugged him and kissed him on his cheek and stood up.

"Good night, daddy."

"Good night, sweetheart!"

"Em...daddy?"

He turned around to face her.

"Yes?"

"Do you think mum will return soon?"

He smiled at her reassuringly.

"I am pretty sure she will!"

She smiled back at him.

"Okay. Good night then!"

"Good night."

Now Fiyero was alone on the stairs and watched the stars. It was amazing how fast the night came during these days. But soon his thoughts drifted away again, back to Shiz and to Glinda. They hardly got news here in the forest but once in a while he went to a village and heard news from traders or got a glimpse on a newspaper and later told Elphaba. Therefore they knew a little bit of what was going on outside this forest and they knew that the Wizard of Oz was gone and that Glinda was now the new ruler of Oz. And that she ruled as Glinda the Good fighting for a better Oz. The day he told Elphaba about Glinda's new role in Oz Elphaba couldn't believe him first. Both of them were so proud of Glinda and so happy about the change Glinda had gone through. But he had also seen the spark of hope which had appeared in Elphaba's eyes. Hope of being able to return to the Emerald City but this hope had disappeared very short after for they both knew that even though Glinda now was the new ruler there was no chance that the Ozians had also changed their minds about the Wicked Witch of the West. But as much as Elphaba he missed Glinda and he yearned to see her again!

He yawned. Suddenly he noticed how tired he was and that it would be the best to go to bed although he used to avoid going to bed as long as possible when Elphaba was not at home. He sighed and stood up slowly and went inside the cottage.

He woke up because of a low rustling behind his back. He opened his eyes and catched a glimpse out of the window. It was pitch-black outside and so was it in the room. Suddenly he felt the blanket being moved and someone slipped under it. Then someone wrapped his arms around his hip and he had to smile for now he knew who it was. He layed his hand on top of her hands.

"I missed you!" He whispered.

"I am sorry. It wasn't my intention to wake you up."

He clasped her hands slightly to show her that he did not care. She huddled herself against his back. They did not speak a word but simply enjoyed their togetherness.

But suddenly she broke the silence by saying: "I am sorry!"

He did not understand.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I am sorry because I often leave you and Emijn alone."

He turned around and took her hands in his.

"Stop it, Elphaba! Stop it right now!"

She looked at him stunned.

"I know that you need this time on your own and I respect this. Furthermore I really appreciate that you practise your magical skills far away from our cottage so that our little girl is not in danger. Especially because your skills have improved that well that you are already trying very complicated spells."

"I know, but..."

He wouldn't let her finish the sentence because he knew that in this case he was absolutely right.

"Just look at me, Elphaba!"

He raised his hands so she could see them in the dim moonlight.

"You managed to turn me into human again. And before you saved my life! So you made all this here possible for both of us. You are the reason why I am here. And I mean this in both ways!"

He layed his hands on her cheeks and smiled at her affectionately.

"Elphaba, I love who you are and not who you pretend to be. If you need time on your own then take it as long as you don't leave us!"

Elphaba looked at him, shocked about what he had just said.

"Fiyero! Don't say this!" She nearly screamed.

"I would never leave you! Fiyero please, don't think I would ever leave you and Emijn! You are the reason why I am still alive! I would never leave you!"

She nearly started to cry.

"Sch, Elphaba! I know! And I trust you!"

He pulled her tight to himself and she buried her head in his shoulder.

Emijn opened her eyes and left her bed. Her plan had nearly failed because of her mother who she didn't expect to return that late. Normally her mother returned around midday. She had nearly been out of the cottage when she had seen her mother coming out of the forest. She had appeared like a ghost with her black cloak and her green skin which made her nearly invisible between the trees. But Emijn had managed to slip back into the cottage before her mother had discovered her. She had quickly slipped in her bed again and had pretended to sleep because her mother used to check on her every night not because she suspected her but to kiss her goodnight. Emijn smiled at this thought. She was very happy about her mother being finally back home although she would not see her this morning. After her mother had left her room Emijn was immediately back in action. She grabbed her pouch filled with provisions and slipped out of the cottage into the forest.

Emijn ran through the thicket thinking about what her father had told her only a few hours ago. 'Well, I have to admit I don't know exactly what lies beyond the forest. I merely stayed in my village.' She would surprise her parents by finding out what lay beyond the borders of the forest. She was sure that they would be proud of her being that brave! She smiled at that thought.

After running about six hours the sun began to rise and it brightened by and by. And suddenly Emijn broke out of the thicket and tumbled on a small path and at the same time she heard a strange and sharp noise on her right side. She turned around shocked by this unknown sound and stumbled as a big black animal unbent to its full height right in front of her. Emijn fell to the ground and watched the animal falling down back on its forelegs.

"Are you crazy!"

She looked up at the sound of this deep voice and saw a man sitting on the animal's back.

"I am sorry. I wasn't my intention to frighten your... your animal!"

'It looks a little bit like a deer!' she thought by herself. The man sighed and dismounted. He walked towards her and offered his hand to help her up. But suddenly he hesitated.

"Sweet Oz!"

He was obviously really shocked. Emijn didn't understand his reaction. But he grabbed her ungently and pulled her to her feet.

"Hey!" She protested.

"Shut up!" He screamed. "You... you wicked witch!"


	2. Chapter 2: Witch trial Part I

Chapter 2: Witch trial (Part I)

As soon as she woke up Elphaba knew that something was wrong. She lay still for a moment and listened to Fiyero's slow breathing. He was still asleep. Elphaba watched him affectionately and reached out to caress his cheek. But there was still this voice in her head telling her that something was really terribly wrong. She slipped out of the bed. It was cold and she dithered. It had been brightening a little so she didn't need to light a candle to find her black cloak. She put on her cloak and threw one last look at Fiyero before she left the room and went to Emijn's room.

She opened the door quietly and peered through the crack in the door. The raising sun shone through the window. Elphaba took a glance on Emijn's bed. It was empty... "Emijn?" She hushed. But she got no answer. She left the room searching for Emijn. She looked in every room but her daughter was nowhere to be found. Panic began to rise inside her.

"Emijn!" Elphaba nearly screamed running around the cottage ignoring the voice in her head telling her that Emijn was in danger.

"Emijn! Please stop hiding, or whatever you are doing. This isn't funny anymore! Emijn! Show yourself!"

She went a few metres into the forest.

"Emijn! I am serious. Show yourself right now!"

The voice in her head became louder and louder. Elphaba stood there in the forest knowing that Emijn wasn't home for an unkown reason and knowing that something had to be wrong. Elphaba was desperate and noticed the tears coming up.

"EMIJN! Really, that's not funny anymore! SHOW UP IMMEDIATELY!" She screamed desperately wiping off the tears which irritated her skin.

"Elphaba?!" She felt his hand on her shoulder turning her around gently. Fiyero looked at her questioningly as he saw the tears.

"Elphaba, what happened?"

"Fiyero... I..." She could not finish the sentence.

He rested his hands on her cheeks.

"Elphaba! Please tell me what happened!"

"Fiyero, I can't find Emijn! She is gone! I searched everywhere but..." Again she could not finish her last sentence.

"Elphaba, I am sure that there is a simple explanation for her disappearance! Maybe she is just hunting. Her latest success really spurred her on. It is likely that she just wanted to take advantage of the dawn while hunting. Maybe she..."

"Fiyero!" She interrupted him. "If she is gone to hunt in the morning why is her bow still in her room?"

He looked at her stunned.

"Are you sure?"

She simply nodded and took his hand.

"Fiyero, I... I know something is wrong! Believe me!"

He hadn't to think about it twice. He trusted her with every fibre of his body. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Okay, we have to stay calm!"

Elphaba nodded. Fiyero turned around but she held him back.

"Fiyero!"

"Yes?"

"We will find her! Promise me!"

He smiled.

"I promise."

* * *

"Hello? Is anybody here? Please! Let me out!"

Emijn thumped desperately on the wood of the door. Actually she supposed that it was the door but she didn't know exactly for it was pitch-black in the chamber she was locked up.

There was no window. Maybe she was in a cellar but she didn't know. She knew nothing not even how long she was already in this room. All she knew was that she was hungry and afraid and that she wanted to be with her parents.

The man had thrown her on his animal and then got on it himself. He grabbed her brutally and put her hands behind her back and fixed them with a rope ignoring her screams of pain. She tried to free herself but with every move the man narrowed the rope till she couldn't think clearly any more because of the pain in her arms. Suddenly everything went dark and she gasped for breath but couldn't breathe freely.

Fabric, woven fabric!

He had put a sack over her head. Panic began to rise within her.

Air! She needed air! She needed to breathe freely.

She squirmed trying to escape the tight handhold of this...this villain. But he was too strong holding her with his big hands. She screamed for help but he hit her hard in her face, so hard that she felt the blood running out of her nose. So she stayed calm fearing another hard slap in the face or something worse.

The animal began to move and Emijn couldn't hold back the tears of pain and desperation.

It seemed to take forever till the animal stopped. Voices became louder and louder, many voices. Was she in a village? Suddenly everything became quiet again. But her hostage-taker began to speak:

"You may ask why I am already back although I left only a few hours ago. But when I was near the edge of the forest this child broke out of the thicket and nearly scared my horse to death. But then I saw her clearly. Look!"

He grabbed her unfriendly and held her high. An embarrassing silence set in lasting over a minute. Then the silence was broken by several whispers becoming louder.

"She is green! Look at her! Sweet Oz!"

"Yes, she is green!" Her hostage-taker said to the crowd. "And everybody in all of Oz knows who was green as well! As green as this girl! There was no other person in Oz with a green skin like hers. And with her magical abilities she might have escaped death and here we have evidence that she is alive!"

He held her higher than before.

"Her successor!" He screamed the last word contemptuously.

"The successor of the Wicked Witch of the West!"

Within a moment the whole village seemed to start to flap.

"What to do with her?"

"What if she has magical skills as well?"

"What if she curses us?"

"The Witch is still alive?! How can this be?"

It was obvious that they were scared.

"Wait, folks please!" Her hostage-taker managed to silence the crowd immediately. "First we should lock her in a safe place till we know what to do with her!"

Emijn listened the whole time but didn't understand a single thing they were talking about. Again they had mentioned a witch. Who was that Wicked Witch they were talking about? She didn't know any person called the Wicked Witch of the West. They must have mistaken her! Actually they looked for someone else. It must be a simple misunderstanding. Hope began to rise inside her thinking the whole thing to be over in a few minutes.

"That witch... It's not me. I have nothing to do with it. I'm not the one you want. It's not me! It's not m..."

The man slapped her again even harder than the first time.

"Shut up, witch!"

Even if she wanted to continue to say something she wasn't able to. She felt dizzy and she felt sick due to the hard slap in the face.

Why didn't they listen to her? Why didn't they understand that it was a silly mistake?

"Mum...daddy, please help me!" She whispered slowly beginning to cry for she was so desperate.

Many hands grabbed her and took her off the animal. They hurt her by grapping her hard and draggling her skinning her knees but Emijn hardly noticed. She was paralyzed, crying, pleading her parents to come and help her. But it was hopeless. She hadn't left any message or hint where she had gone... How could they know where she was?

She just wanted to see what lies beyond the forest! This was no crime! This couldn't be a crime! She hadn't done anything wrong!

But now she sat here in this chamber with walls made of wood without any light or anything to eat. They wouldn't let her die in here, would they? Human beings weren't that bad, were they? Human beings were nice and lovingly beings just like her parents, weren't they?

She missed her mother's smile for she simply loved to watch her mother, to play with her, to see her happy for this happened not that often. There was often a certain depression around her. But she knew that this wasn't because of her but because of something which happened in her past. But Emijn didn't dare to ask her because she didn't want to hurt her mother by bringing up bad memories.

How badly she wanted to be back in her mother's arms!

"Let me out!" She screamed hammering on the door.

But nobody answered, not even a 'no'. Emijn sank to the floor. She was exhaust and felt weak and etiolated. Nobody was here to help her... She began to cry...

"Is she in there?"

"I think so! My mother told me that they brought her in this chamber!"

"Shush, be quiet! If they find us here we're done for!"

The voices were low and Emijn could hardly hear them but there were children talking. She guessed that there were two boys and a girl. Maybe there was hope.

"Hello?" She asked carefully.

Silence.

"Hello?"

"Damn! She heard us!"

"We should leave it and go home!" One of the boys sounded very scared.

"No!" Emijn wouldn't let them go.

"Please stay!"

Again silence.

"Please can you tell me why I am here?!"

First it seemed that again no one would answer her question but then:

"You know why you're here, witch!"

"No, I'm no witch! You all call me witch! Why? I am no witch! I never was! I am no evil person! I never did something really bad. I am no witch!"

"You know you are green, don't you?"

Emijn didn't understand the question.

"Of course I know! But I am one of the hunters who used to live in the forest."

"You're kidding, aren't you? There have never been any hunters who used to live in the forest. Above all not with a green skin! There was only one person with green skin and she's dead!"

Emijn couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her father had told her about the hunters!

"You know the Wicked Witch of the West?" The boy outside the room asked.

Emijn thought about it but she was sure that she had never heard of that witch.

"No."

"Well, she was the only person with green skin who has ever lived in Oz. She was killed seven years ago by a girl called Dorothy with a bucket filled with water."

"With a bucket filled with water?!"

"Yes, the Witch was allergic to water!"

Emijn was shocked! Her mother hated water, too... But... No!!! They lied! They tried to mellow her. Her mother was no witch! Her mother was a loving person who cared for her family and always helped Emijn with everything, helped her to learn how to write, how to read and was very patient with her learning how to speak. She nearly began to smile at the thought.

"My mother told me that the Wicked Witch of the West did so many evil things although she was so young! I think she was only ten years older than us! And I'm only ten years old myself!" It was the girl speaking.

"I heard the same! Didn't your mum tell you anything about it?" The boy asked.

"No, because there was no reason to tell me! My mum is no witch and neither am I! So please let me out! I want to go back home!"

But the children outside the room didn't obey but continued to chatter about this Wicked Witch Emijn didn't know.

"My mum even knows her name. She told me once but I forgot!" The second boy said.

"I know her name! My father was in the Emerald City when the Witch appeared for the first time in the palace of the Wizard of Oz. He was a servant in an aristocrat's house therefore he knew about many political things which were going on at this time. Her name was Elphaba Tropp!"

"NO!"

Emijn threw herself with all her strength and desperation against the door.

"You are liars! You are terrible liars!"

She felt the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"My mum is no witch!"

She sank to the ground.

"She never did those things!"

She cried even harder. Her mother would have said if she was the Wicked Witch... but... her mother hardly told her anything about her her past. But her father... he would have told her... he certainly would... like he told her about his past and how he had met her mother.

'No', she corrected herself. How he had probably met her mother.

The children had said that there has been only one person in all of Oz with green skin and this person had to be her mother. So the hunters living in the forests were a lie invented by her father... so why were they living in a forest? Maybe... Emijn tried to clear her mind, to combine the things she had just heard:

Her parents hadn't told her the truth about their past. And her mother was said to be the Wicked Witch of the West unique by her green skin which she herself had inherited and this was obviously the reason why she was in this situation. Everyone knew about the green skin and the Witch so this must be the reason why they were living in the forest. Her mother must have staged her death to escape the mob. And if she appeared in public everyone would recognize her immediately thinking her to be a criminal...a villain.

But Emijn couldn't understand why her parents had lied to her. She had always trusted her parents but if they had lied to her about this then had they ever told her the truth?

She wiped away her tears. She wanted to stop crying. She simply felt betrayed. Her mother...a witch, a witch which was feared all over Oz.

"We better go now!" The girl on the other side of the door said.

Emijn turned around scared.

"No please! What are they going to do with me?"

Silence...

"What we normally do with beings which have magical skills... burn them!"


	3. Chapter 3: Witch trial Part II

Chapter 3: Witch trail (Part II)

Emijn was shocked. Burn?! "Wait, you mean I am going to die?!"

"It seems so!" One boy said indifferently.

"You should have stayed in the forest with your vicious mother!" the girl said and then the children were gone leaving a crying Emijn in her prison.

She cried resting her head in her hands. She was going to die! Die... She would die here! Here and alone! What had she done to deserve this? She would never see her mother and her father again. She would never see her home again. Her life was to finish here away from the things she loved. Dying. She had already thought about death after she had seen her father killing a deer in the forest for the first time.

Emijn remembered that she had sat on the ground crying horribly when she had seen the deer dying slowly. Her father hadn't known that she had followed him into the woods instead of being with her mother in the cottage. Her father had been shocked to death when he had heard her cry. And he hadn't been able to console her. He had finally carried her home to her mother.

* * *

"Elphaba!"

Fiyero nearly screamed for his wife. He had tried everything to comfort his distressed daughter but he had failed and he knew it. His last option was Elphaba. He knew that he had a special connection with his child but now this wouldn't help him. The evidence was his still crying child in his arms.

Elphaba came out of the cottage. He saw a hint of fear on her face when she spotted the crying Emijn.

"What happened? Did she get hurt?" She was by his side immediately taking Emijn in her arms.

"No. She just followed me and watched me..."

"Watched you doing what?" Elphaba had that very critical look right now, the look he could barely stand.

"Killing a deer!" Fiyero said soundlessly.

Elphaba got the problem and the seriousness of this situation. She simply nodded and Fiyero backed away knowing that if Elphaba couldn't fix it no one could.

Elphaba walked carefully into the forest still carrying her crying daughter whispering words of comfort to her.

Finally they arrived at the place Elphaba was looking for. It was a small bright clearing not far away from the cottage. Elphaba sat down in the middle of the clearing. She hugged Emijn lovingly sitting in the quiet of the forest. Only Emijn's sobbing was audible. So they sat till Emijn had calmed a little.

Emijn caressed Emijn's cheek lovingly.

"Mummy..."

"Yes, little one?"

Emijn didn't answer immediately. She seemed to think about how to ask correctly. And Elphaba gave her the time she needed. Emijn should learn to speak for herself.

"Why did daddy this evil thing to the deer?"

"You mean why he took its life?"

Emijn was irritated and wiped away her tears which were still on her cheek. "I mean what he did to the deer causing it to collapse and to blood badly and to lay there as though it was sleeping. Although it wasn't sleeping!"

Elphaba smiled slightly and put her hand on her daughter's cheek.

"Your father was hunting. He tried to get us something to eat. And his choice was the deer. He had to take its life in order to get us something to eat."

Emijn was shocked.

"So he took the life of the deer so that we have something to eat?! That is disgusting! I am not going to eat anything from this day on!" Emijn said with a determined look in her eyes.

"But you have to eat! You can't live without eating anything!" Elphaba said.

"But at least the does will live!" Emijn said very determined.

Elphaba knew that Emijn wouldn't let it go easily.

"Even if you stop eating the does are going to die someday. Every living being has to die when its life is over."

Emijn was shocked for she understood the concrete meaning of what her mother had just said.

"You and daddy are going to die too?!"

Elphaba nodded.

"And you as well. But you have still your whole life before you, so don't worry about it. But this is how the nature works. Everything you see exists in a delicate balance¹ and everything has to die someday!"

Elphaba pointed out into the forest and then into the sky.

"We are all part of a big plan², called nature where everything is in balance. You need to understand that balance and as a part of the nature you have to respect all the creatures¹ living around you whether small or big, whether beautiful or ugly, whether friend or enemy. As you saw today your father killed a deer but the important fact about this is that he didn't kill it to have fun but to feed us. And like this we in return feed the does when we die. When we die our bodies become the grass and the does eat the grass¹. See? We take and we give and we are all connected in the Circle of Life¹."

Emijn had listened very carefully and now she was looking at her mother with her eyes wide open.

"So everything of me is going to be grass someday?" Emijn run her hand over the grass of the clearing and Elphaba smiled.

"No, not everything only your body is going to be grass but not your soul."

Emijn didn't understand. "What is a soul?"

"Your soul is inside your body. Souls are not visible, not touchable and have no specific form. Your soul is for example your conscience. To say the tiny voice in your head telling if something you do is wrong or right. Through your soul you get your personality. Every living being's personality is defined by its soul."

"I don't understand this." Emijn said.

"That is not a problem. It is really complicated." Elphaba was very happy that Emijn didn't ask her to go on explaining what a soul was. In fact Elphaba didn't even know it by herself. How should she know if she even hadn't a soul on her own? She wished so desperately for a soul.

"What is going to happen with my soul?" Emijn interrupted the thoughts of her mother.

Elphaba did not reply immediately for she had to think about it first.

"I have to admit that I don't know exactly what happens to your soul after you die. Maybe you are going to be reborn as an animal or again as a human."

Emijn's face lit up. "Then I want to be a bird because then I am able to fly high!"

But then something dawned on her. "We are going to be separated?"

Elphaba nodded.

"But you are not going to remember anything of your former life. You are going to start something totally new!" 'And you are not going to be green determined to life in the forest far away from other children because you are the child of the Wicked Witch of the West!' Elphaba thought for herself.

"No, I don't want to forget about you and daddy! I love you two! I would not be able to forget you!"

"Emijn, listen! Your father and I, we will never turn away from you. We will stand by your side because we are one family and we love and trust each other. Even if your father and I are not physically present we are with you on your journey, wherever it will lead you. You have to remember that the only thing which cannot be destroyed is your pride which lies deep inside you!² Remember this even if you don't understand it yet. Someday you are going to be in a situation you don't know how to escape. Then think of what I told you today. Every ending is a new beginning. You don't have to be afraid! Think of your pride and rise above it all where no one can reach you, where you are as free as you can be, where no one is able to bring you down again! Maybe this sounds hard but sometimes you just have to close your eyes and leap no matter what risks lie in front of you. In order to live you have to risk your life!"

* * *

In this moment Emijn had not understood what her mother had meant by that but she had never forgotten about it just like her mother had told her. But it was so hard now to believe in it. Emijn started to cry again. She was so desperate for she did not know what to think anymore and she was desperately longing for her parents. Maybe they were liars but at least they loved her, didn't they? And she for herself loved them as well! They had had such a great time living together in the forest. Something they couldn't have had if they had lived in a village like this one due to the past of her mother, the Wicked Witch of the West.

"Please..." she sobbed. "Please mom, daddy don't leave me here condemned to die!"

"Who wants to kill you?" asked a voice out of the darkness of the room.

Emijn was totally shocked for she had assumed that she was alone in here.

"Who... who are you?! Show yourself!" she demanded with an unsteady voice.

"Only if you tell me what you are doing in this dark room crying and whispering that you are going to die!"

"I... I am locked here by the residents of this village. They think I am a witch!"

The being giggled. "So this is a Witch Trial!"

"But I am no witch!" Emijn nearly screamed for she was so frustrated of repeating it over and over again without anyone believing her.

"You don't have to scream! I believe you for there have been only three witches till today, two of them are already dead and none of them had any children and the other one is ruling Oz as Glinda the Good and she also has no children."

Emijn sighed for she didn't want to hear her mother being accused for a second time. "I know the Wicked Witch of the West is evil and blablabla!" She was annoyed.

"You don't seem to be very interested in this topic, do you?"

"You are right for although she is supposed to be wicked she still is my mother and I never saw her doing any harm to anyone!"

There was silence...

"What do you mean with your mother has never done any harm to anybody?"

"Just if you don't know: my mother is the Wicked Witch of the West!"

There was again an awkward silence. Suddenly Emijn heard a scurrying and then she felt something on her leg. She shrieked as she discovered that it was a rat. With a wipe of her hand she flung the rat away and backed away to the wall.

"Ouch! Why did you do this?" the voice complained.

"Did what? There was a rat! I was scared!"

Emijn heard a sigh.

"Do you know about Animals?"

"No. What are Animals?"

"Well, listen very carefully!"

"Okay." Emijn promised.

"Animals are animals which know how to speak and which have the same mental abilities as the human beings. Animals work as professors, administrators and counsellor. I am one of the Animals but not as skilled like a professor for I nearly spent my whole life in the forest."

"Sweet Oz!" Emijn said as it dawned to her. "You were the rat!"

"I am glad you found out on yourself! But please let me continue with my story! A few years ago as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz appeared the situation for the Animals became worse and worse." The hate was evident in the Rat's voice as he spoke the name of the Wizard.

"He suppressed our kind trying to turn us back into animals without the ability to speak. And no one of the Ozians tried to help us except a handful of students, which were led by a person you apparently know very well."

Emijn could not think of any other person than her father because her mother was said to be wicked. "My father, Fiyero Tiggular?"

The Rat giggled again. "No, it was your mother, Elphaba Thropp! Your mother fought for our rights and paid with her life. At least we all thought that. The Wizard spread rumours out saying your mother is a danger to the society, a villain. She got the name the Wicked Witch of the West and was considered a terrorist. She was hunted in all of Oz. And about seven years ago she was killed by a bucket filled with water. At least this was what we have been thinking till today, till I met you. You are not seven years old yet, are you?"

"I am six years old." This was all Emijn was able to say.

The Rat had told her that her mother had not done anything wrong in contrary she had fought for the rights of the Animals.

"That means she is still alive!" The Rat said. Now his voice was unsteady.

"Yes, she is still alive. She staged her death in order to escape the mob, I assume." Emijn said.

But everything that mattered was that her mother wasn't a villain. Her mother was a hero! They would come and rescue her! Now she was sure! Then she had an idea.

"You have to find her and my father! The people here are going to kill me because I have green skin like she has! You have to find them so that they can rescue me!"

The Rat did not hesitate for one second. She was the daughter of Elphaba Thropp! "Where can I find them?"

Emijn just thought a second.

"I am pretty sure that they search the whole forest for me! So you just have to find them, no matter what! You have to hurry!"

"I am already gone! Take care of you! I am going to find your parents!"

And then again she was alone in her pitch-black prison hoping her parents would come just in time to rescue her.

* * *

¹ quotations from the Disney Movie "The Lion King" (slightly changed) © Walt Disney Company

² quotations from the Disney Movie "The Lion King 2 – Simba's Pride" (slightly changed) © Walt Disney Company


	4. Chapter 4: The Rat

Chapter 4: The Rat

Elphaba wandered through the woods, her palm held out in front of her carrying a small flame which she had made appear in order to see something in the dark forest. It was already past midnight. One day… Emijn was missing for one day by now and she had searched everywhere she knew Emijn went to hide if something was wrong or if she wanted to be alone. And she knew that Fiyero did the same. They went separate ways to cover a bigger area in less time. But she was convinced that this time they would not find their littler daughter hiding behind a bush crying because she made a mistake and was too afraid to admit it. Emijn was not in the woods anymore, Elphaba knew it. She cramped her hand around her broom and slid down a small hillside in order to get access to a small cave which was home to an old bear in the winter. At present the cave was empty and Emijn often used this cave to do some thinking.

Elphaba entered the dark cave. The flame only lightened up only a small part of the cave but she had not to go far for she found a blanket in a corner of the cave. Hope rose within her.

"Emijn!" She screamed and heard the echo returning to her like laughter. Like somebody was laughing about her and her foolishness, her foolishness to think that she would find Emijn in this cave.

"Emijn! You have had enough fun for today! Please show up immediately if you are here. Your dad and I are really worried! That is not funny anymore!"

But everything stayed quiet and Elphaba fell desperately to the ground in front of the blanket. She laid the broom on the ground slowly taking the blanket which was Emijn's.

"Emijn where are you?" She whispered. "I cannot lose you! Please just give me a sign!"

She held the blanket to her face and closed her eyes taking in the scent of her daughter which was still on the blanket. Tears were building in her eyes. 'This is not happening! This is a bad dream!' she thought. Maybe a spell had gone wrong and she was now lying unconsciously in the cave where she had been practicing her magical skills. And Emijn was at home and safe. And Fiyero was waiting for her because he hated sleeping without her by his side. But she knew that she was only lying to herself. No one had a dream in real time which was as concrete as the past day. This wasn't a dream it was reality. Emijn was missing! They had to find her and she tried to block out the tiny voice in her head telling her that it was already too late. She got up taking her broom and the blanket in one hand. Then she walked out of the cave and looked into the sky.

Clouds blocked out the stars but not the moon. The location of the moon told her what time it was and she knew she was a little too late meeting Fiyero on the clearing they had arranged as their meeting point. She got on her broom and took off.

She was tempted to enjoy the wind which was caressing her on her flight but the thoughts about her missing daughter didn't allow her doing so. She hedgehopped for she couldn't risk to be seen so she focused totally on the flight in order to block out the distressing thoughts about her daughter and to manage to fly without hitting a treetop.

It took her only a few minutes to reach the clearing and she could already see Fiyero standing there with his horse…only he and his horse. Elphaba tried to fight the tears building up in her eyes and focused on the landing. She had been hoping that he had found her!

He watched her landing and the moment he dropped his head she knew he had been hoping for the same. She went to him shaking her head without even saying anything. What should she have said? Everything was clear at the moment. Emijn was still missing!

When she reached him she gave him the blanket she still carried with her and he knew immediately that it was Emijn's. His hand cramped around the blanket and he closed his eyes for he felt really helpless. Elphaba leaned against his chest and all he could do was putting his arms around her and trying not to cry.

The Rat ran as fast as his small legs could carry him. He had seen a shade gliding on the ground. He was sure he had recognized one part of the shade as the tail of a broom. This had to be Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West! So she was truly alive for no one but she had ever managed to make things fly not even Glinda! So now he was running after the shadow trying to stay on the right course.

He broke through the coppice and overcame a hillside and a small brook till he reached the clearing where he could see two persons standing very close to each other. He crossed the main part of the clearing and stopped a few meters away from the two. He cleared his throat in order to draw their attention to himself. It worked!

Elphaba and Fiyero startled for they thought they were alone in the forest. But Fiyero reacted immediately putting himself in front of Elphaba so that she couldn't be seen from the place where the noise had come from. The night would do the rest and the other being would not be able to see that Elphaba's skin was actually green. So the person would not recognize her as the Wicked Witch of the West.

But both where irritated as they looked into the direction where the noise had come from seeing nothing. But then they saw the rat and it immediately dawned on Elphaba. "It is an Animal!" She stepped forward. But Fiyero still tried to protect her.

The Rat tried to find some words but he had lost all of them the moment he had laid his eyes on Elphaba. He had seen her green skin immediately. There she stood in person, the Wicked Witch of the West, the person who had fought for the rights of the Animals, the person he admired the most because she had given up her dreams in order to fight for his kind which others regarded as not even worth living. She had sacrificed her life and now she was maybe paying a far higher price, her only child.

"Who are you?" Fiyero asked.

The Rat heard the mistrust put in this question. "It is an honor to meet you!" he managed to say. "It doesn't matter who I am because we have no time. Emijn has no time…"

"Where is she?" Fiyero screamed aggressively stepping forward. But Elphaba held him back.

"Let him talk!" Her voice was unsteady and the fear was evident in her voice.

"I didn't do anything to her!" The Rat tried to defend himself. "I found her by chance. The residents of a small village near an old bridge made of wood arrested her. I don't know its name. They have locked her in a small room and I think they are going to burn her! She sent me to find you!"

Elphaba was already on her broom but Fiyero held her back.

"You can't go there. I know where this village is!"

Elphaba knew what he truly wanted to say that they would recognize her immediately as the Wicked Witch of the West. But she could not care about this. Her daughter was going to die if she waited any longer. Elphaba freed herself.

"Fiyero! They are going to burn her! I am not going to wait till this happens! They have already seen her green skin so it doesn't matter anymore! I know the village as well. So I am not going to let her die!"

With these words she took off not caring about Fiyero anymore. The only thing on her mind was her little daughter who was in real danger!

Fiyero also did not wait any longer, climbed on his horse, laid the blanket on the saddle in front of him and rode after Elphaba trying to catch up with her although he knew that this was nearly impossible.

The Rat was left on the clearing and could only hope that they made it in time...


	5. Chapter 5: Judgement

Thank you for all your reviews!

Since some of you wanted to know where Glinda is in all of this, I'm going to say something about this issue: Glinda is going to appear in chapter 8. And she is going to play an important role in the whole story so don't worry I didn't forget about her.

Chapter 5: Judgement

_Emijn looked up as she heard her door being unlocked. She reacted immediately and escaped to the wall which was farthest away from the door. The door was opened and someone held a lantern into the room. Emijn was blinded by the sudden light and covered her eyes. The residents took advantage of this and ran into the room pinning her face down to the ground and handcuffing her. Emijn tried to fight her capturers but they were too many and they were too strong. "Let me go!" She screamed but they simply ignored her. They pulled her up brutally and carried her out of the room. She struggled in order to free herself but they held her tight so she had no chance to escape. They carried her out of the cottage where they had kept her. Emijn didn't even know how long she had been in there. She looked into the sky but the stars were blocked out by clouds. She loved the stars. It couldn't be that she wasn't going to see them again! She began to struggle again but this time she was hit hard by someone._

_"Shut up! Witch!"_

_Emijn tried to ignore the pain in her stomach where the man had hit her._

_"I am no witch!" She screamed furiously. "I have never been a witch! Let. Me. Go!"_

_But they never listened to her but continued to carry her through the village._

* * *

Elphaba felt the wind wrenching at her coat. The air was cold and she shivered. But she wasn't sure if she just shivered because of the cold…

"Emijn, hang on! Please, just hang on!"

* * *

_Emijn looked around and saw people standing on the streets watching her with fear in their eyes. Mothers hid their children behind their backs in order to protect them. Tears began to build up in her eyes. Where was her mother to protect her?_

* * *

Fiyero spurred his horse like he never had. He galloped down a hillside, jumped over a log and rode through a small river. He didn't care about hurting himself. He just cared about the two most important persons in his life, Elphaba and Emijn. And so he did not notice that he lost the blanket while riding through the small river. While he continued to catch up with Elphaba in order to save their daughter, the blanket was carried away by the small river.

* * *

_Emijn was thrown to the ground and immediately torn to her feet again. She looked up and saw it… a stake. Panic rose within her! She didn't want to die! She fought her capturers again but they held her tight. She realized that she had no chance to escape. All the people standing here were against her believing that she was the successor of a terrorist. Something hit her in the face and then another thing hit her on her shoulder. After the third and fourth impact she realized that they threw fruit at her. Another one hit her in the face. It hit her hard and she was sure that she felt blood running down her nose._

_"Please, mum, dad…" She whispered crying._

* * *

Elphaba saw the river in the distance which led to the village where Emijn was locked up. She was near! Just a little bit longer!

"Hold on, Emijn, just a little bit longer!"

Fiyero could suddenly see Elphaba again. She was still flying on her broom but not far away from him. He spurred his horse even more. Desperately hoping he could really catch up with Elphaba before she did something really stupid for he knew that Elphaba could be very impulsive sometimes. And he did not plan to lose them both because Elphaba would act without planning how to act…

* * *

_Emijn was taken to the stake the crowd booing the whole time and screaming paroles:_

_"Burn the Witch!"_

_"Let her suffer!"_

_"Evil beings are not worth living"_

_"Free Oz from the Wicked Witch of the West!"_

_Emijn tried to block these paroles out of her head. She didn't want to hear them for they were all wrong! Her capturers took her upstairs on top of the stake and bound her to the pale in the middle of the stake then they left her there and went back downstairs to the rest of the residents of the village which was crowded around the stake._

_"Kill the Witch!" A man screamed and the crowd supported him screaming the same._

_Emijn had tears in her eyes hoping that this was just a bad dream. That she was only sleeping in her bed and her mother would return soon and kiss her goodnight and her father would be happy again because her mother was back and everything would be fine._

_She saw a man approaching the stake with a torch and Emijn knew that she only had little time left. Panic rose again within her and she was astonished that her legs still carried her because she was so afraid. The man came nearer a nearer and Emijn knew that she had only one chance left._

_"Please let me go!" Her voice was unsteady. "Please! I am just a little child! I am only six years old! I have never done something bad! I am no witch! I am only a little child! I beg you no-"_

_Something hard hit her in her face and fell to the wooden ground in front of her feet. The pain was nearly unbearable and she tried to refocus on the object which had hit her. It was a stone!_

_And suddenly she knew… She would die here!_

_Emijn collected herself and tried to think about her parents, her father who had taught her everything about hunting and had always been a loving and caring dad and her mother who had always been there for her helping her with every silly problem she had had as the little child she was and with an overwhelming patience and who had taught her everything you had to know about moral and life itself at least the things she could already understand._

_She felt sorry that she did not say goodbye to none of them as she had started her journey through the woods just a few hours or days ago. She didn't know how long ago she had left the safety of her parent's home. But she was happy that she had at least met her mother before she had left and that she had gotten a goodnight kiss from both of her parents._

_She would never see them again… neither her father, neither her mother with who she had talked about death. She remembered that day very clearly and she remembered what her mother had said to her:_

"Your father and I, we will never turn away from you. We will stand by your side because we are one family and we love and trust each other. Even if your father and I are not physically present we are with you on your journey, wherever it will lead you."

_This sentence was burned into her mind and even though she hadn't understood the sentence the day her mother had told her she understood it now. She understood that her parents thought about her even though they were not here with her and even though they had lied to her. She knew that they loved her and she knew that they would try everything to rescue her as both had assured her even though it would be too late. The panic, which had risen within her, ceased for now she knew that she wasn't alone here. She wasn't alone because her parents where always with her in their thoughts wherever she was and in whatever situation she was in. And she could say this with all her certainty because she knew she could trust her parents because they were one family._

"You have to remember that the only thing which cannot be destroyed is your pride which lies deep inside you!"

_Emijn thought this sentence over and over again. Her pride! She watched the crowd and saw the hatred in their eyes and the joy of burning an evil being. They looked at her as though she wasn't worth living, as though she was some lower being without the right to life. Had her mother meant this? That the people here didn't see her as an equal human being as they were? That she was the same human being as they were? And that she, equally to them, had her pride. They were proud of having captured the successor of the Wicked Witch of the West and she for herself? Was she proud of something? Maybe she was proud of being the successor of the Wicked Witch? No! She was proud of being the child of her mother! This was her pride! And no one could take this away from her, not even them, not even by burning her. She would never regret being the child of her mother!_

"You don't have to be afraid! Think of your pride and rise above it all where no one can reach you, where you are as free as you can be, where no one is able to bring you down again!"

_Emijn didn't want to be afraid! She didn't want to enlarge their triumph by dying in fear. She wanted to rise above leaving them all on the ground. She wanted to fly freely. She wanted to defy gravity like a bird could. She wanted to be reborn as a bird so she could fly into the sky and fly side by side with her mother on her broom. She could be near her parents for she knew she would never forget them, she simply couldn't forget them!_

_The man with the torch was now by the stake. He faced Emijn and she could see the triumph in his eyes as he finally threw the torch into the stake._

_She couldn't hold her tears back for she knew that this was the end._

_"Mom, dad, I miss you already!" She whispered hoping they would at least hear her. "I promised you not to forget your words, mom! I didn't! I will rise, rise above them all! I'm not like them! I'm not going to judge you like they did! I'm not going to ignore my origin! I love you and I trust you unconditionally!"_

_She felt the warmth of the flames which had already enflamed two thirds of the stakes. The tears rolled down her cheeks. One last time she forced herself to face the residents of the villages. She would rise but would ground them at the same time by using their biggest fear against them!_

_"You fools!" She screamed tears streaming down her face. "You were right! You were right with your speculation!"_

_The warmth was getting more and more unbearable for her._

_"I am the successor of the Wicked Witch of the West! I am her daughter! And now that you killed me she is going to seek revenge! For you killed her only child! She is going to come to this village and punish you for what you did to her only child! And even if you should try to escape she is going to trace you down with her magic and then she is going to punish your children because they are your children the same way you punished me because I am her daughter. She is going to punish you because she is the Wicked Witch of the West!" She screamed._

_The triumph, which had been visible in the eyes of the residents vanished and was replaced by fear. And Emijn recognized that she had been successful._

_The flames were near her already burning her clothes._

_"I am sorry, mom, for using you to ground them." She whispered making clear that she knew that her mother was no wicked witch but a loving mother. She took the golden feather, the pendant her father had made her, in her hand._

_"I'm not going to disappoint you again, mom, dad! I'm going to watch over you!" She looked into the sky._

_"I'm going to rise above and nobody in all of Oz is ever gonna bring me down!"_


	6. Chpt 6: The return of the Wicked Witch

Chapter 6: The return of the Wicked Witch of the West

Elphaba could already see the small village. She had followed the river and now she was nearly there where her daughter was captured. But suddenly she smelled something different from the smells which had smelled while flying though the woods and above the river. She smelled burning wood and ash.

Her body began to shiver and she blocked out the thoughts which immediately appeared in her head. She leaned forward on her broom in order to minimize the aerodynamic resistance and to increase the speed.

It was pitch-black in and outside the village. It was hardly visible because it fit that well into the dark surroundings of the woods. But Elphaba saw it all the same for in a few houses of the village the lights were still on but everything was quiet.

Elphaba saw the main road of the village and decided to follow it directly to the center of the village. She was a little bit calmer now that she had seen how empty the village was. Maybe they had still a chance to save Emijn.

The lights which shone through the windows illuminated the main road just so that Elphaba could see the many footprints in the sand of the road and the fruit lying all over the middle of the road. Panic rose within her when she saw the traces in the middle of the road as though someone had been draggled against its wishes. And then the drops of blood in the sand…

It slowly dawned on Elphaba and she couldn't ignore the voice in her head telling her she was too late…

She followed the rest of the road to the center of the village with trembling hands. She could hardly hold her broom stable.

And then she saw it… the knoll of ashes in the middle of the marketplace in the middle of the village. The knoll of ashes was too huge for just a normal bonfire. Elphaba knew it. And she knew that it had been a stake… It must have been a stake…

She landed, made a few steps and then fell to her knees in front of the burnt stake crying desperately for now she couldn't ignore the truth anymore. She couldn't ignore the fact that she had failed her daughter, that she was too late!

Fiyero entered the main road of the village. His horse was worn out due to the speed it had to keep up for such a long distance. But he wouldn't let the horse slow down because he could smell the burnt wood and because of the fear he had of losing the two women he loved so much!

Elphaba had been out of sight since she had decided to follow the river down to the village. He himself had had to take another way down to the village. So he didn't know how long it had been since Elphaba had reached the village.

The village was silent but it was a treacherous silence. Normally Fiyero would have slowed down his horse, would have made a plan but he could smell the ash. He had no time to make plans.

He rode down the main road and then he saw the ashes, a huge knoll of ashes and Elphaba kneeled in front of it, her hands cramped into the ashes. He stopped his horse right behind Elphaba, jumped to the ground and ran to her.

"Elphaba! What's this?!" His voice was unsteady.

Elphaba turned her head slowly in order to face him. Tears were streaming down her cheeks which irritated her skin.

"Don't you see it, Fiyero?" She asked disbelieving.

"Don't you see it?!" She nearly screamed.

"It was a stake, Fiyero! A stake! To burn Emijn! They burned Emijn like a witch!" Her voice was shaking due to her crying and her desperation.

But Fiyero didn't want to accept what she had just said. He shook his head.

"No, no, no, NO! Stop saying such things. They haven't burned her yet. This could have been anything!"

He still tried to ignore the tremendousness. But he saw it in her eyes that she knew better than he. But he didn't want to hear it, no, he didn't.

"Fiyero, it was her stake! They burned her!"

The tears continued to stream down her face. Then she raised one of her hands. Ash trickled down to the ground and Fiyero saw what she held in her hand. It was the golden necklace and the golden pendant he had made for Emijn. Some parts were smelted because of the heat of the flames. But you could still see that it was Emijn's necklace.

Fiyero sank to the ground crying when it dawned on him, when it dawned on him what this meant for all of them: Emijn was dead!

They had failed her, failed their only child. He had failed terribly the only time he hadn't been allowed to fail. He couldn't stop his tears. It seemed so surreal. Not even two days ago they had sat on the stairs of the cottage and they had been happy. Two days ago his daughter had been happy and alive and she had asked him questions in her curious kind of way. Had asked him about the world… Fiyero halted. She had asked him about what lies beyond the borders of the forest and he… he had said that he didn't know. They had known Emijn as being very curious. He should have foreseen that Emijn would want to know more about the world outside of the forest. He had had to foresee it. Then Emijn wouldn't be dead right now. Then they would still be a happy family. It was his fault that Emijn was dead!

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply then he opened his eyes again and turned his head to face Elphaba. She still kneeled in front of the knoll of ashes, the golden necklace still tight in her hand and still crying. Should he tell her? Should he tell her that he had destroyed their happiness, their family? Should he tell her that he had killed their daughter?

But before he could think about it any further, Elphaba rose to her feet. He watched her and saw her trembling, clenching her hands to fists and he saw a determined look in her eyes. Her tears had stopped but he could still see the irritations on her cheeks left by the tears she had shed.

Suddenly she turned around and went back to the main street. Fiyero watched her irritated but then noticed that she was approaching a big house with a sign labeling it as a tavern. The lights were on and some voices could be heard coming out of the tavern.

Fiyero jumped to his feet.

"No Fae!"

He ran after her for she ignored him. He grabbed her arm and held her back.

"Stop it!"

But she tried to free herself from his grip. She faced him and Fiyero could see the hatred in her eyes.

"Let me go! They killed our daughter! Let me go!"

"No! Fae, if they see you!"

But Elphaba didn't listen to him anymore. She faced the house again and didn't care about Fiyero still holding her arm. She began to whisper in a language Fiyero didn't know and it dawned on him that she was casting a spell.

"Stop it right now, Elphaba!"

He screamed for he wanted her to stop immediately before anyone of the residents of the village recognized her. He had lost his daughter but he wouldn't lose his beloved, not today. He knew how fanatic the witch hunters had been when they had been after Elphaba. He didn't want to see his beloved in such a situation for a second time.

But Elphaba didn't stop chanting and he didn't even know which spell she was casting. He tried to irritate her by dragging her away from the house but it didn't work.

Suddenly he saw a different light to the ones shining through the windows of the house. It came from the roof and then he saw the flames coming out of the attic. He was horrified when he recognized that this was Elphaba's spell. She would burn down this village!

"Elphaba! Don't do this!" He begged.

She stopped casting her spell and turned around to face him. He saw the rage in her eyes.

"They will burn as they burned her!"

Fiyero was shocked. He didn't know this Elphaba. He loosened the grip around her arm and she turned back around to face the house again continuing to chant.

Fiyero could see that the other houses began to burn as well. Suddenly screams were audible in the village and then happened what Fiyero had feared the most since the day Elphaba had staged her death. People came out of the houses saving themselves from the flames. Children were crying and adults were screaming and others just watched the flames helplessly. And in the middle of this chaos were he and Elphaba.

It didn't take the residents of the village long to spot them. A woman screamed and pointed at Elphaba who was still chanting. The people turned around and Fiyero could really see the panic in their eyes when they recognized her.

"The Wicked Witch!" One man screamed saying what everybody thought.

Elphaba stopped casting the spell. The flames would do the rest on their own and didn't need her magical support anymore. She faced the crowd in front of her and suddenly pointed at them so that they backed away afraid of her magical skill and her brutality.

"You!"

She said, her voice being as cold as ice and sharp as a sword.

"You killed my daughter! You burned her like a witch even though she was only a six years old girl! You killed her! You burned her! No I will burn you!"

She screamed and the first women took their children and ran away.

"I will find you wherever you are going!"

Fiyero couldn't watch it any longer. He had to stop it for Elphaba's sake! He grabbed her arm again but much more brutal than the first time and dragged her with him with all his force away from the residents and out of the village using their fear and astonishment to escape unharmed.

The last thing he heard was:

"The Wicked Witch of the West is back!"


	7. Chapter 7: Separate ways

Chapter 7: Separate ways

Fiyero didn't know how he managed to reach the forest with Elphaba struggling against his grib. Somehow he managed to drag her further into the forest. She tried to free herself again and again. She was crying and so was he. He didn't know where he took the power from to walk, to breathe, to live. Everything happened in slow motion… They had lost their daughter…because of him…

When they finally found a place in the forest which seemed safe he let her go but Elphaba didn't go anywhere. She fell to the ground crying. She looked like a picture of misery.

He tried to focus and concentrate because they had to go away very quickly. The residents had seen her and he was sure that in a few days all Oz would know that the Wicked Witch of the West was still alive. And Glinda would know it, too…

They had no time to waste. They had to disappear right now. Even if it was very hard right now but he wouldn't let them take Elphaba! He had to thank his parents for forcing him to attend military service where he had gained skills highly utile at the moment. He wiped away the last tears and tried to block out the thoughts and pictures of Emijn. He felt like a traitor but he had to protect Elphaba. When he had achieved this he would grieve…but right now Elphaba's life was in real danger. He begged his daughter for pardon and approached Elphaba. He reached for her arm but she shook his hand off immediately and faced him. "They killed our child! Why did you stop me!? They killed Emijn!" Her rage was evident in her voice and he saw her tremble due to the same reason.

He kneeled down in front of her and laid his hands on her cheeks and forced her gently to look at him.

"I couldn't risk losing you, too! Elphaba they would have killed you, too!"

Elphaba looked to the ground.

"Who cares?" She whispered.

"I do!" He said determined.

"You don't! I failed her, I killed her!"

Fiyero looked at her. "Stop saying this, Fae! It's not your fault!" 'It was mine!' He thought.

She couldn't face him. "Yes, it's my fault. She inherited my green skin. I gave it to her! She would be still alive if she had been born with normal skin! It's my fault!"

"No, Fae, stop it please!"

He couldn't see her being so distressed thinking she killed their daughter because of an incident Elphaba hadn't been able to influence. She would destroy herself if she continued to think about it this way.

"Elphaba, it's not your fault! It was mine!"

She watched him unbelievingly.

"Fiyero, it wasn't your skin color she inherited!"

But Fiyero shook his head. "I'm not talking about the skin color…"

Elphaba didn't understand. "What are you talking about?"

Fiyero sighed. "The day before the night she…disappeared, she asked me what lies beyond the borders of the forest. I lied to her! I told her that I don't know what's outside the forest. So she wanted to see it by herself…" He trailed off.

"What?!" Elphaba asked unbelievingly. "You lied to her?!"

He was taken aback from her reaction. He hadn't expected her to react this way. Maybe he had hoped she would at least understand.

She rose to her feet and watched him unbelievingly.

"But we lied to her before about…about your past!" He tried to justify his actions.

"We decided together that we wouldn't tell her the truth! Together!"

He couldn't believe what she had just said. He has hoped she would support him but she made it worse by placing the whole burden on his shoulders, when he needed her the most to take the burden off of his shoulders. But this couldn't be! Not her! Elphaba had never stabbed him in the back. This wasn't fair! He wouldn't accept this! He wanted to take her pain away but she gave it away willingly. He faced her and still saw the rage and hatred in her eyes which was now directed at him.

"But…but you… You could have saved her! You have magical skills! You could have saved her by turning her into something similar to a scarecrow. Later when she had been safe you could have turned her into human again!"

Elphaba's eyes sparkled and she clenched her fists.

"And how should I have done it? I don't have the Grimmerie and I didn't learn the spells by heart! Don't you think I thought about it?! Don't you think I would have done it if I could?!"

Tears appeared in her eyes and he knew he had hurt her deeply but he couldn't understand.

"Then why didn't you cast a simple searching spell? We could have found her just in time to save her!"

"Fiyero! Don't you understand?! I would have if I could! She is our daughter! Do you think I left her to die on the stake on purpose? Don't you dare to think I wouldn't have done everything to save her! Don't you dare to think this!"

Tears ran down her cheeks.

"Just a little searching spell and we could have saved her! She would still be alive!" He whispered.

Elphaba looked at Fiyero unbelievingly. Now she was the one who had caused Emijn's death?! She wiped away the tears angrily.

"If you think magic and casting a spell is that easy why didn't you do it by yourself?" She asked angrily.

Fiyero didn't believe her.

"You are saying that you can't cast a simple searching spell?!"

"They are very complex and I have to invent the spells by myself because I don't have the Grimmerie or any other book which contains spells!"

Fiyero let out a laugh of desperation.

"Are you kidding? The Wicked Witch of the West who is feared all over Oz can't even cast a simple searching spell!? That's hilarious!"

He saw her face fell and it hit him what he had done. He had never addressed her as the Wicked Witch of the West for he knew that she wasn't the Wicked Witch she was supposed to be. Elphaba had never done those things!

"Fae, I'm sorry… I…"

He walked over to her but she backed away still shocked about his comment. Not Fiyero, too! Not Fiyero!

"Fae, please…" He tried to grab her arm.

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare touching me!" She fought back her tears.

"Fae, please! I'm sorry. I…" He begged and tried to reach Elphaba. But Elphaba simply shook her head and backed away some more steps.

"I… I have to go!"

Elphaba turned around and jumped on her broom which had still been in her hand. Then she took off. Fiyero ran after her but couldn't reach her anymore.

"Fae!"

He sank to the ground crying.

"Fae! Come back! Please! Come back!"

But Elphaba was already out of sight…and out of reach.

* * *

Don't worry, this is not the end!

* * *


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